Landing platform for flying machines



April 8 1924. 1,489,746 J. E. EAGhES LANDING PLATFORM FOR FLYING MACHINES Filed 23 1923 K IVVENTOQ JbHNJEZuIU/VoZAGLEs --the ,following Patented Apr. 8, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE.

JOHN magnum menns, or'maw wnsrumsrna, amuse: conumnui, omens.

LANDING PLATFORM FOB FLYING MACHINES.

Application filed August 23, 1928. Serial No. 858,935.

Toall whom it may concern:

Be it known '--that 1, Joan EDMUND EAGLES, a subject of the Kin of Great Britain, and agresident of the city of New Westminster, in the Province of British Columbia, Canada, {have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Landing Platforms forFlying Machines, of which is a specification. M invention. relates to improvements in landin platforms for flying machines, and the ob ect of my invention is to devise a landing platform the use of which enables the machine to -be readily and easily controlled from the moment it arrives within a certain distance: from the platform until it comes to a stop" and which further provides for the stoppage of the machine positively within a certain defined limit so that the landing of an aeroplane, hydroplane, or

other type of flying machine is rendered a matter of absolute certainly and safety.

\ I. attain this object by the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings Fi 1 is a fragmentary view showing part of th e underbody of a flying machine with the Ia-tfQrm-contacting'member assembled thereon. 1

Fig. 2 is aside-elevation of a vessel illustratingthe landing platform arrangement.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a front end view of a machine and the platform-contacting member.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view of the electro-magnetic' circuit control arrange- 'ment.

- Fig. 6 is a. sectional detail view of a spring bumper. I

Similar figures of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views.

According to my lnvention, taking for illustration a vessel having an aeroplane as art of its equipment so that space on the eck is provided for manceuvering, or a floating hangar 1 of the t pe projected and in construction, where t e 'top deck 2' is flush from stem to stern, a metal platform 3 is arranged at the spot where the machine is destined to land and this platform is of a Width sufiicient to receive the wheels of the plane and long enough to provide sufiicient run to enable the plane to be brought to restthereon. This platform is connected to a source of electric current, through wires 4, controlled by a suitable controller 5 so that thecurrent canbe increased stepby step and the current is arranged to pass in any well-known manner through suitable 'COIlS' disposed under the platform so that when the current'is switched on the :platform becomes ma etized, the arrangement being such that ti: increased in strength gradually from one end ofthelatform to the other end. It will be rea ily understood that any wellknown electro-magnetic meansmay be empltged to magnetize the platform.

ecured to the flying machine 6 on its unde'rbody towards its opposite sides are two housings 7 and 8 each containing a coil spring 9 through each of which springs extends longitudinally a rod '10 and 11 respectively, these rods extending at one end exteriorly of the housing and having this end eyed, these ends being indicated by the numerals 12 and 13, so that there may be swingably connected thereto wooden arms, 14. and 15 respectively, while the opposite end of each rod lies within its respective housing and is enlarged as at 16 so that the end of the sprinlg1 bears against it. Thus, the spring in each ousing bears at one end agalnst one end of the housing and at its other end against the rod enlargement, so that each housing contains in effect a spring bumper by means of which each wooden arm is resiliently supported and thus the risk of damage to the arms through shock is eliminated to a great extent. The wooden arms lead aft and their opposite ends converge and to the converging ends is secured a metal platform-contacting member -17 which is thereby disposed on the longitudinal axis of the machine, since the arms converie centrally, and as the arms are swinga ly connected .to the bumper rods the ma be swung up to lie against the un erbo y of the machine when the latter is in the air and this-is effected by means magnetic field may be' of a cable 18 connected at one end to the wheels so that when the machine is .landing the member is the first part of the machine to contact.

Thus, a machine coming to land, heads for the landing platform and on approaching the same drops the arms to the full extent so that the metal contacting member 17 contacts with the end of the metal landing platform 3 which is magnetized by the current switched on by an operator handlin g the controller 5. The magnetic strength of the platform, however, is only strong enough at this point to check the machine but as the machine travels along above the platform, with the contact member 17 trailmg thereon the operator gradually increases the strength of the current until the magnetic strength of the platform is such that the contact member is held firmly thereto and thus the machine can go no further and is thereby brought to rest without jar or shock and with great safety to both the machine and its occupants so that risk of accident and damage and also loss of life is eliminated.

It will thus be seen that I have devised a useful and practical means of great utility for the landing of flying machines which consists in brief of a platform capable of being magnetized with gradually increasing force from one end to the other, the magnetic strength being directed to the retarding and holding of a metal contacting element carried by the machine which is dropped into the contacting position when the machine nears the landing platform.

What I claim as my invention is 1. A landing device for flying machines comprising, a suitably supported platform capable of being magnetized a pair of arms hingedly connected at their forward ends to the underside of the plane body whereby they may be raised against or lowered away from the same and converging at their rear I ends, and a platform-contacting element secured to the rear ends of the arms adapted to be attracted to the platform when brought within the field of magnetic influence of the same.

2. A landing device for flyin machines comprisin a suitably supported platform capable 0 being magnetized, a pair of arms hingedl connected at their forward ends to the un erside of the plane body whereby they may be raised against or lowered away from the same and converging at their rear ends, a platform-contacting element secured to the rear ends of said arms adapted to be attracted to the platform when brought within the field of magnetic influence of the same, means for raising or lowering the said arms, and means for sup-porting the arms in the raised position.

3. A landing device for flying machines comprisi a suitably supported platform capable 0 being magnetized, a pair of laterally spaced bumper rods secured to the underside of the plane body, a pair of arms hingedlyconnected at their forward ends to the rear ends of said bumper rods converging at their rear ends, and a platform-contacting element secured to the rear ends of the said arms adapted to be attracted to the platform when brought within the field of magnetic influence of the same.

Dated at Vancouver, B. (1., this 3rd day of August 1923.

JoHN EDMUND EAGLES. 

